S. Korea calls for efforts to strengthen positive cycle of bilateral progress with Japan

A senior South Korean diplomat on Friday called on Japan to work together to strengthen the positive cycle of bilateral relations between the two countries, as they held their first strategic talks in more than a year. First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo made the remark during the 16th strategic dialogue with his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, stressing the need for the cooperation in a way that would benefit the peoples of the two countries. Park said the two governments should

Nov. 7, 2025

Seoul, Asian partners launch new council to advance regional legal cooperation

South Korea’s Ministry of Government Legislation on Friday launched the Council of Asian Legislative Institutions — a new multilateral platform established with Mongolia, Thailand and Uzbekistan to foster legal cooperation and joint legislative development across Asia. The launch ceremony, held in Seoul, was attended by officials from South Korea and abroad, including Pakorn Nillprapunt, secretary-general of the Thai Cabinet Secretariat, and Ikramov Muzraf, vice minister of justice of Uzbekistan

Nov. 7, 2025

Vice defense ministers of S. Korea, Canada discuss arms cooperation

The vice defense ministers of South Korea and Canada met in Ottawa earlier this week to discuss strengthening their defense and arms industry cooperation, the South's defense ministry said Thursday. Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee and his Canadian counterpart, Stefanie Beck, held talks on Wednesday and held in-depth discussions on such cooperation, according to the ministry. The meeting came after the leaders of South Korea and Canada agreed to bolster security partnership in summit talks last

Nov. 6, 2025

Kenya-Korea partnership to boost green infrastructure: principal secretary

Kenya sees South Korea as a vital partner in driving green growth, clean energy and sustainable development, said Festus K. Ng'eno, principal secretary for Kenya's State Department for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, in an interview with The Korea Herald. Ng'eno was in Seoul to attend the Global Green Growth Week — a conference hosted by the Global Green Growth Institute that brings together policymakers and experts to promote sustainable and inclusive development. Ng’eno said Korea’s

Nov. 5, 2025

Vietnamese president visits ASEAN House in Busan

Vietnamese President Luong Cuong visited ASEAN Culture House, operated by the Korea Foundation, in Busan on Saturday. The house is the only institution outside Southeast Asia promoting the cultures of the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Cuong was welcomed by around 100 members of the Vietnamese community in Korea, where he met with Kim Ghee-whan, president of the Korea Foundation, and Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon. During the visit, Cuong left a gift of a book on the Dong So

Nov. 4, 2025

From oil to AI: Inside Kazakhstan’s tech awakening at Astana Hub

ASTANA, Kazakhstan — Inside a brightly lit classroom filled with rows of iMacs, students hunch over their keyboards, with code flashing across their screens. On the other side of the room, another group of students gathers around a whiteboard, sketching innovative ideas and plans for their next AI project. The classroom is part of Tomorrow School, an education program focused on artificial intelligence housed within Astana Hub, the country’s flagship technopark for IT startups. Here, young progr

Nov. 4, 2025

Uzbek Embassy teams up with UN tourism agency in Busan

The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul and the Tourism Promotion Organization for Global Cities, a Busan-based agency affiliated with the United Nations, have agreed to strengthen tourism exchanges, linking the TPO member cities with Silk Road heritage destinations such as Samarkand. The agreement was signed on October 27 on the sidelines of the first-ever Global City Tourism Summit held in Busan. Uzbek Ambassador Alisher Abdusalomov said Uzbekistan and the UN agency were developing specialized cult

Nov. 4, 2025

Korea, Central Asia discuss tourism

South Korea and five Central Asian nations discussed sustainable tourism at the Global City Tourism Summit in Busan on Tuesday. The session, co-hosted by the Korea Foundation and the Tourism Promotion Organization for Global Cities, a Busan-based agency affiliated with the United Nations, sought to integrate Central Asia’s tourism resources with Korea’s industry expertise for a sustainable joint tourism network. In her remarks, Lee Bang-bok, deputy secretary-general of the KF Korea-Central Asia

Nov. 4, 2025

Turkmenistan promotes peace, neutrality in Seoul

The Embassy of Turkmenistan in Seoul reaffirmed its commitment to global harmony and cooperation on Monday. The embassy hosted an event promoting peace and neutrality ahead of the High-Level International Forum in Ashgabat on Dec. 12, marking key global peace and neutrality observances. Turkmenistan was declared a permanently neutral state on Dec. 12, 1995, through UN General Assembly Resolution 50/80, making Turkmenistan the only country whose neutrality is officially recognized by the UN. Acco

Nov. 3, 2025

Lee says summit with China's Xi put bilateral ties back on track

President Lee Jae Myung said Sunday his recent summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping helped put the two countries' relations back on track. In a Facebook post uploaded in both Korean and Chinese, Lee noted the significance of his talks with Xi, held Saturday during the latter's first visit to South Korea in 11 years. "The South Korea-China summit was quite meaningful in that it helped fully restore our bilateral relations and put us back on the path of mutual prosperity as strategic cooperati

Nov. 3, 2025

Thailand, S. Korea can work together on cybercrime, economy: Thai PM

Thailand has long been one of South Korea’s key trading partners, maintaining strong economic ties since the Korea-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement came into effect in 2010. Now, Bangkok seeks to take the relationship a step further through the swift conclusion of a bilateral trade pact that could serve as a new pillar for cooperation. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Bangkok hopes to accelerate negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, saying the deal would help bo

Nov. 2, 2025

Lee, Singaporean PM set to hold summit to discuss security, technology

President Lee Jae Myung was set to hold summit talks with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Sunday to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in security and technology, the presidential office said. Wong, who is on an official visit to South Korea, has attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and other related events in the southeastern city of Gyeongju last week. During their talks, to be held at the presidential office, the two leaders are expected to have in-depth discu

Nov. 2, 2025

Lee gets Xiaomi smartphones as gift from China's Xi, quips about security

President Lee Jae Myung has received a set of Xiaomi smartphones and traditional Chinese calligraphy tools from Chinese President Xi Jinping following their first summit talks, as the two leaders shared a lighthearted exchange about communication security. As the two sides exchanged their gifts on Saturday, Xi presented Lee with two smartphones made by Chinese tech giant Xiaomi, noting that the displays on the phones are Korean-made. "Is the line secure?" Lee quipped. Xi replied through an inter

Nov. 2, 2025

APEC leaders' summit kicks off amid global trade uncertainties

World leaders gathered at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on Friday as they seek ways to boost resilience and spur growth amid a rising tide of unilateral trade and other barriers. The two-day gathering has brought together the leaders of 21 APEC member economies, guest nations and representatives of international organizations, with discussions on sustaining free trade and bolstering regional economic integration topping the agenda. APEC leaders have arrived in Gyeongju to attend t

Oct. 31, 2025

Korea, New Zealand to strengthen strategic partnership

President Lee Jae Myung and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral summit on Thursday, reaffirming their commitment to deepen cooperation across trade, defense and education as the two countries agreed to establish a “comprehensive strategic partnership.” Meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 APEC Summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Lee praised New Zealand’s historic contribution during the Korean War, noting that the country “sent many troops to defend South Kor

Oct. 30, 2025